Combination finger guard and goods guide for sewing machines



Aug. 31, 1965 A. MICALE 3,203,384

COMBINATION FINGER GUARD AND GOODS GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed 001;. 22, 1963 56/6 Fla. /7

"/42 I 45A e45 FIG. /0 38 45A Fla. /3

INVENTOR 1 F70. /4 H015 ANGELO M/CALE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,203,384 CUMlBlNATlON FlllGlllit. GUARD AND @001)? GUIDE FOR SEWHNG MACHINES Angelo Micale, 995 Nassau St, North Brunswick, Nnli. Filed Oct. 22, N63, Ser. No. 318,030 4 Claims. (831. 112-151) This invention relates to a combination finger guard and goods guide for sewing machines, in which the guard protects the operators finger While guiding the goods and the goods guide limits the right hand edge of the goods being sewed.

The drawings illustrate the invention, and in these:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively left side, front, and right side elevational views of the device;

FIG. 4 is a plan view;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively plan and left side elevation of a goods guide;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the finger guard and of the connector by which it is adjustably connected to the foot bar of the machine;

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the right side of the connector shown in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are respectively plan, bottom plan, left end and right end views of the bar by which the goods guide is adjustably connected to the finger guard;

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 are respectively plan, left side, and front views of a bent wire which passes adjustably through the goods guide transversely and the function of which is to prevent curling of the side margin of the goods being sewed;

FIGS. 16 and 17 are respectively top and side views of a screw used to secure the wire shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 to the goods guide; and

FIGS. 18 and 19 are respectively side and top views of a screw of the type used to adjustably secure the device in a selected raised position relative to the goods guide and also to selectively secure the finger guard in a desired position.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description, the numeral 21 indicates a finger guard (FIGS. 2 and 4), which may be just in front of the machine foot, or on or over the fore part thereof, and prevents the finger which guides the goods from being injured. An angular connector 23 (FIGS. 1 through 4, and 7 and 8), integral with the guard, extends backwardly therefrom and upwardly and is adapted to be secured at its upper end to the foot bar 25 by means of a thumb screw 26, for which purpose the connector has a slot 27, open at its upper end. The screw 26 passes through the slot and threadedly engages the foot bar, and tightens the connector against the foot bar. The connector and the finger guard, and also the rest of the device, may be raised and lowered either by an arcuate adjustment of the connector relative to the screw, which also produces a forward and backward movement, or by an up and down movement of the connector relative to the screw, which adjusting movements are necessary to suit the operator and the sewing conditions such as the nature of the material, visibility of the needle, etc.

The finger guard 21 has an off-center or eccentrically positioned bore 29 (FIG. 8) extending therethrough lengthwise, to slidably receive a bar 39. This bar may be fixed in a selected position, relative to the guard, by a set screw 32 (FIGS. 1 through 4, and 18 and 19) which passes threadedly through a hole 33 (FIG. 7) in the guard and bears against the bar. The bar '50 serves to adjustably connect the finger guard and a goods guide (FIGS. 1 through 6), which guide rests on the sewing machine table and limits the right hand edge of the goods being sewed. The goods guide is secured to the bar 30 and "ice extends rearwardly therefrom and parallel to the connector 23. The bar 30 is somewhat enlarged at its right end, and at that end has a vertical hole 38 therethrough to receive an upright pin 35A which is the connecting part of the goods guide. As the finger guard is used at somewhat varying elevations, and since the guide must remain on the machine table, the guide must be adjustably connected to the guard. This adjustability is secured by fastening the bar 30 to the pin 35A at a desired height by means of a set screw 41, which enters a threaded hole 42 (FIGS. 9 and 10) in the right end of bar 30 and threadedly engages the bar and presses against the pin 35A.

The device shown also includes a component which prevents the goods being sewed from curling up at the right hand margin as it goes through the machine, and such component is indicated by the numeral 4-5 (FIGS. 1 through 4, and 13, 14, 15). It is in the form of a wire bent U-shape to form parallel arms 45A which pass slidably and transversely through the goods guide by way of holes 35B, from the outer side of the guide, so that the extent of their projection beyond the inner side of the guide may be regulated, it being understood that the goods pass under the arms. The middle part of the bent wire is shown arched and is bent upwardly at right angles to the arms, to provide a thumb piece for pushing it farther in or pulling it out relative to the guide. The wire may be secured to a selected position by a vertical set screw 50, which enters the guide from the latters upper surface and presses against one of the arms 45 (FIG. 4).

What is claimed is:

1. A combination finger guard and goods guide for sewing machines, comprising a finger guard having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a connector secured rigidly to the guard and extending rearwardly and upwardly relative to the guard and having an elongate slot extending downwardly from its upper end, a horizontal bar in the bore of the guard and slidable therein lengthwise, the connecto and guard being arcuately turnable relative to the bar, a securement means for securing the guard in a selected position along the bar and also in a selected arcuate position relative to the bar, the bar having a vertical hole therethrough adjacent its right hand end, a goods guide extending rearwardly therefrom from the bar substantially at right angles thereto and comprising an upright pin at its forward end, the pin extending upwardly through the vertical hole in the bar, and a second securement means for securing the bar to the pin at a selected height on the pin.

2. A combination finger guard and goods guide for sewing machines, comprising a finger guard having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a connector secured rigidly to the guard and extending rearwardly and upwardly relative to the guard and having an elongate slot extending downwardly from its upper end, a horizontal bar in the bore of the guard and slidable therein lengthwise, the connector and guard being arcuately turnable relative to the bar, means for securing the guard in a selected position along the bar and also in a selected arcuate position relative to the bar, the bar having a vertical hole therethrough adjacent its right hand end, a goods guide extending rearwardly therefrom from the bar substantially at right angles thereto and comprising an upright pin at its forward end, the pin extending upwardly through the vertical hole in the bar, and means for securing the bar to the pin at a selected height on the pin, a component adapted to prevent the upcurling of the right hand margin of materials being sewed, said component being a wire of U-shape passing transversely and slidable through the goods guide, and means for fixing the component in a selected position relative to the guide.

3. A combination finger guard and goods guide for sewing machines, comprising a finger guard having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a connector secured rigidly to the guard and extending rearwardly and upwardly relative to the guard, means for securing the connector to a stationary part of a machine at different heights, a horizontal bar in the bore of the guard and slidable therein lengthwise, the connector and guard being arcuately turnable relative to the bar, means for securing the guard in a selected position along the bar and also in a selected arcuate position relative to the bar, a goods guide extending rearwardly therefrom from the bar substantially at right angles thereto and means for vertically securing the guide to the bar at a selected height relative thereto.

4. A combination finger guard and goods guide for sewing machines, comprising a finger guard having a longitudinal bore therethrough, a connector secured rigidly to the guard and extending rearwardly and upwardly relative to the guard, means for securing the connector to a stationary part of a machine at different heights, a horizontal bar in the bore of the guard and slidable therein lengthwise, the connector and guard being arcuately turnable relative to the bar, means for securing the guard in a selected position along the bar and also in a selected arcuate position relative to the bar, a goods guide extending rearwardly from the bar substantially at right angles thereto and means for vertically securing the guide to the bar at a selected height relative thereto, and a component adapted to prevent the upcurling of the right hand margin of materials being sewed, said component comprising at least one arm passing slidably through the guide transversely from the outer side thereof and extending beyond the inner side.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,970 12/88 Griest 112-151 767,301 8/04 Malizan 112-151 FOREIGN PATENTS 474,322 4/29 Germany.

ROBERT V. SLOAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION FINGER GUARD AND GOODS GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES, COMPRISING A FINGER GUARD HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE THERETHROUGH, A CONNECTOR SECURED RIGIDLY TO THE GUARD AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE GUARD AND HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM ITS UPPER END, A HORIZONTAL BAR IN THE BORE OF THE GUARD AND SLIDABLE THEREIN LENGTHWISE, THE CONNECTOR AND GUARD BEING ARCUATELY TURNABLE RELATIVE TO THE BAR, A SECUREMENT MEANS FOR SECURING THE GUARD IN A SELECTED POSITION ALONG THE BAR AND ALSO IN A SELECTED ARCUATE POSITION RELATIVE TO THE BAR, THE BAR HAVING A VERTICAL HOLE THERETHROUGH ADJACENT ITS RIGHT HAND END, A GOODS GUIDE EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM FROM THE BAR SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT PIN AT ITS FORWARD END, THE PIN EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE VERTICAL HOLE IN THE BAR, AND A SECOND SECUREMENT MEANS FOR SECURING THE BAR TO THE PIN AT A SELECTED HEIGHT ON THE PIN. 